More Than Your Heritage?
by CheekyBrunette
Summary: When a bully makes fun of Carlos for his race, Logan helps him out.  Hopefully sweet enough to rot your teeth. **For MyHeroRaven**  No offense meant to any hispanics


**Kay, sorry if you are a Latino and find this offensive, cause that's not my intention at all. Just to emotionally scar Carlos and stuff, not to insult any of you. So yeah, sorry if this hurt your feelings, I don't think this way (and I hope no one really does...). Just wanted it to be realistic and intense and stuff, you know?**

**Okay, so sorry, hope you like reading..**

**Oh! And this is for MyHeroRaven cause she asked and I said yes..**

"Hey Border-hopper, how 'bout you hop on over this building!" a voice said behind him, pushing Carlos hard into the wall in front of the school. Prickly brick scratched at his face and hitched on his shirt, and he was seriously glad he had his helmet on his head. It protected him from everything, including bullies. "Awww, is the little wet-back too tired from working in the field to jump high enough? Well, lucky for you, ya little wab, I know a _great_ place behind the school for you to nap." A rough and grabbed him by the collar and dragged him off, Carlos struggling to get out of his grasp the whole time. His feet dug into the sidewalk and he grabbed onto everything he could.

Somewhere out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of his attacker, and wasn't surprised. Billy Collins. The kid was the most racist, homophobic, sexist kid in the whole school, and also the size of a small mountain. Basically, if you weren't him or one of his cronies, who were following them at that moment, you were white trash or worse. He picked on everybody, and Carlos being the only Latino at their small town high school didn't do anything to protect him. Finally giving in to being dragged away, he tightened the strap on his helmet, preparing himself for a fight.

They rounded the back corner of the school, and Billy threw him on the pavement. Carlos's knees burned as they skinned across the ground. He popped up fast and held his fists up, not going down without a try. He suck a brave face on, but really just hoped beyond hope that his friends would somehow rescue him. Kendall always seemed to know when and where one of them was in trouble, and Carlos prayed that this wasn't an exception. Billy chuckled.

"What is the pint-sized _spec_ gonna fight me?" he spat, fire burning in his eyes. Carlos just nodded, his helmet falling down a little over his eyes, and he tugged it on tighter. Billy laughed even harder, his friends now joining him. He knocked Carlos on the side of the head. "Look at the stupid back-scraper's helmet. I guess his madre is worried about his brains falling out." There was a snicker from his left.

"What brains?" a blue-eyed, blond-haired kid who looked like Billy asked, evoking giggles from everyone else. Carlos tried to remove the bigger boy's hand from his shoulder, but it wouldn't budge. On the contrary, Billy's hold on him strengthened, his meaty fingers digging into his skin. He glared at him, and Carlos shuddered as his fingers came up to his neck, fearing the worst, and his breath hitched anyway when he popped the clasp of his helmet. He pushed it off, and the plastic made a satisfying smack as it hit the ground.

"Look, Ese," he said, Carlos looking to his toes. It felt like he was a dictionary of mean names for Hispanics. Despite how much he didn't want to admit it, they were eating at Carlos. Tears prickled in his eyes, but he refused to let a single one fall. It would be just another reason to call him a wet-back or a wab, and Carlos wasn't either of those. He wasn't. So why did Billy make him feel like one?

A hard fist connected with his stomach, and before he could even register it, he was pushed into one of Billy's "friends". He was passed around for a bit until making it back to Billy, disoriented and doubled over in pain. A swift kick to his waist sent him to the ground. He curled up, holding his head to keep it safe, feeling vulnerable without the safety of his hockey helmet. He tried not to scream as kick after kick hit him, bruising him up and down. "Maybe all these bruises'll make him dark enough to realize how much of a coconut he is!" Billy laughed. Carlos let out a yelp in protest, earning Billy on top of him, pinning him to the ground.

"What? Just cause you act white doesn't make you one of us," he hissed, slapping Carlos across the face. He squirmed under his weight, trying to free himself, but he was too weak. It was impossible to escape when Billy had you. The kid was a brick of meat.

But suddenly, he was gone. Carlos sat up, looking around, confused. Finally, he found what had taken his attacker's attention, and saw Logan standing above him with a bat. The pale boy jumped a little at the other guys, and they ran off. No one messed with a hockey player and a bat. Carlos was completely dazed as Logan grabbed his hand and helped him up, hissing as the changed pressure on his purpling bruises kicked in. Logan helped him hobble away from the unconscious boy and into the school, aiming for the nurse's office.

"I'm going to get so much detention for that..." he frowned, not regretting his decision to hit Billy upside the head at all, but also not looking forward to the Saturdays to come. Carlos laughed weakly at his side, his lungs aching. Billy had really done a number on him. His small smile quickly fell, as his cruel words wormed their way back into his brain. He'd never been called so many racist things in a row before. Nor had anyone ever beaten him like this. He looked to the ground, and Logan gave him a worried look. "Are you okay, man?" he asked, concern filling his features. Carlos shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess..." he answered. Logan didn't buy it, and made him look him in the eyes. He didn't even have to say anything before Carlos caved. They were close enough to not need words. "He called me mean names..." he mumbled, embarrassed. Being bullied was one thing, but admitting to it was another. It made Carlos feel so pathetic. He hadn't been able to protect himself, and... every insult felt so true. What if it was? What if he told Logan what he was called, and he just laughed and agreed? Carlos's stomach churned at the thought. Logan, meanwhile, was looking at him very seriously.

"Did he make fun of you for being Hispanic?" he asked, and Carlos bit his lip, tears filling his eyes. "Oh, Carlitos..." Logan sighed, stopping and pulling him into a hug. Carlos pushed him away angressively.

"Don't call me that," he said angrily, and Logan looked at him a little shocked. Carlos walked away from him a little, punching a locker and actually leaving a bit of a dent, he hit it so hard. "Why couldn't my parents have at least _named_ me something normal?" he groaned, words hitching at the end as he tried not to cry. Logan shook his head.

"Carlos, your name _is_ normal," he tried, earning a glare.

"What, normal for people who look like me?" he asked. Carlos knew he was reading into everything, and that Logan wouldn't say or think things like that about him, but... what if? What if that's what he thought? What if his friends laughed at him when he left the room? What if they made fun of him for speaking Spanish at home? What if they texted jokes to each other about how they always ate tacos and quesadillas at his house? Carlos couldn't help feeling... sensitive about it right now. There was just too much insecurity to let his walls down. Logan looked at him, eyes sad and hurt.

"No, Carlos. It's a normal name. Lots of people are named Carlos, and it doesn't matter what race they are, it's just a name. A normal name, for a normal person," he said, reaching out to grab his unhurt shoulder comfortingly. "Carlos, there's nothing wrong with you, okay? Billy's an idiot and the only one who thinks bad about you like that." Carlos shrugged him off, still untrusting.

"But who's to say that others only think of me just a _little_ bit better?" he asked, worried. He sniffed, scared, insulted, and paranoid. "I mean... do _you_ think at all like that, Logan?" he asked, looking very young. Logan shook his head quickly, not hesitating to think about it. Carlos was _Carlos_. One of the three best guys in the universe. How could he?

"Never. I wouldn't think of you like that even if your name was Pedro and you didn't have a green card. You're more than your heritage, Carlos. Everyone is. I wish Billy was the only one who thought differently because you, and everyone else, deserves more than that," he said slowly and honestly, wanting every word to sink in. He was serious about this, and he really wanted for Carlos to see that. He decided he did a good job when the injured boy jumped onto him, wrapping in the tightest hug he had ever gotten. They could have stayed like that forever, but Carlos really did need to get to the nurse. "Come on, bud," he said, leading him down the hall.

"Thanks, Logie," Carlos said quietly, gratefulness shining in his big, brown eyes. "For everything." Logan nodded in response, and proceeded to tell him how brave he was, sneaking up on Billy and knocking him unconscious. Carlos just laughed, loving every second in the other boy's company. Logan had a habit of always saying things like that. Things that wiped him clean and made him feel just like everyone else. Carlos was hyper, crazy, and wore a helmet. He wasn't great at school and was sort of oblivious. People said stupid stuff sometimes, and Logan always told him that that's just what it was. Stupid. He was always the one to brush it off his shoulders.

Logan was always just the person to go to when he felt insecure. He saw without seeing, and that's what everyone needs. Carlos sat on the edge of the cot, Logan pretty much doing the nurse's job for her, knowing where everything was at this point and wanting to help his friend. He smiled when the pale boy plastered a band aid on his scraped knee and cheek gently, each with a smiley face on them. Carlos knew those weren't from school, but instead from Logan's back pack. Years of being friends had taught him well. "Logie, wanna sleep over?" he asked, ignoring the nurse's smile at their cutesy friendship. He nodded as he cleaned up his forehead. Anything to get out of his house for a while, and Carlos was a fantastic alternative.

In the end, Carlos now knew for sure that Logan was his best friend. Not that he was going to tell anyone, Kendall and James would kill him, but it was good to know.

After all. Logan had saved him.

**So again, sorry if I insulted you. Feel free to call me a zip, a wop, a shant, Ragu, macaroni, a jambonee, dago, or whatever else you can come up with if you want. It's okay... if I insulted you, you can insult me. I swear, I didn't mean to. If it really bothers you, I'll take it down if you want. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings or make them feel uncomfortable, okay?**


End file.
